Merkel says that Greece and FYROM must find a solution (14.02.2012)

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her support to the desire of FYROM to enter the EU and NATO, after the meeting she had with the prime minister of FYROM, Nikola Gruevski.
She also sent a plea to Athens and Skopje to continue negotiations and to arrive at an agreement on the issue of the name.

“The question of the name must be resolved. For this reason she would certainly continue the negotiations with Greece and I would try to find a solution. In the EU e are all used to making compromises, otherwise the Union could not survive”, declared the Chancellor.

She noted however that “in the EU no shortcuts can be taken if certain conditions are not fulfilled”, while as far as the entry into the alliance is concerned, the solution of the problem of the name has been given as a prerequisite.

The German Chancellor mentioned that in the sectors of justice and transparency in the functioning of public services a lot can still be done in FYROM.

Merkel and Gruevski

For his part Nikola Gruevski declared that his government plans to submit a new request for entry into NATO in the next summit of the Alliance, in May in Chicago. He expects a positive answer from the summit.
He assured that his country is working hard so as to fulfil the European conditions, while as far as entry into NATO is concerned hall the criteria have been fulfilled.
“For all purposes “Macedonia” is already part of NATO”, he declared and referred to the participation of FYROM in NATO missions, such as that in Afghanistan.
He also mentioned the recent decision of the International Court of the Hague, and once again called the difference over the name a “virtual” difference.